Album Review of Blaqkout by DJ Quik & Kurupt.

Blaqkout

DJ Quik & Kurupt

Blaqkout - Very Good, Based on 2 Critics

Pitchfork - 82Based on rating 8.2/10

82

Rap history is biased towards royalty, whether you're the king of your block or the King of the South. DJ Quik's two-decade career has established him as one of the genre's great recording artists, but his maturation from teenage Compton DJ to a complex embodiment of California post-gangster party rap doesn't have much cachet in a hip-hop history that celebrates only winners. Quik's music feels increasingly undervalued; being known as the ultimate "underrated" West Coast rapper-producer has become a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy.

Just like the similarly titled 2009 album from Method Man and Redman, DJ Quik and Kurupt's Blaqkout is a throwback triumph that succeeds thanks to the hip-hop veterans' superior chemistry and informal attitude. Anyone expecting a courageous game changer will be disappointed by all the swaggering, sexual bragging, and irresponsible pimping the duo frontload onto the effort, but coming to terms with the overall weekend attitude is quick and easy, thanks to rock-solid hooks and Quik's production. On "Ohh!" he creates a head-bobbing backing track out of chopped-up vocals and smooth jazz keyboards, offering a G-Funk alternative to Timbaland's "Indian Flute.